33 research outputs found
Closure, observation and coupling: on narrative and autopoiesis
An examination of how narrative fiction can be thought of as a form of Autopoiesis (self-organizing system), drawing on Aristotle, Czech structuralism and Niklas Luhmann's systems theory
ENPP1 Affects Insulin Action and Secretion: Evidences from In Vitro Studies
The aim of this study was to deeper investigate the mechanisms through which
ENPP1, a negative modulator of insulin receptor (IR) activation, plays a role on
insulin signaling, insulin secretion and eventually glucose metabolism. ENPP1
cDNA (carrying either K121 or Q121 variant) was transfected in HepG2 liver-, L6
skeletal muscle- and INS1E beta-cells. Insulin-induced IR-autophosphorylation
(HepG2, L6, INS1E), Akt-Ser473,
ERK1/2-Thr202/Tyr204 and GSK3-beta Ser9
phosphorylation (HepG2, L6), PEPCK mRNA levels (HepG2) and
2-deoxy-D-glucose uptake (L6) was studied. GLUT 4 mRNA
(L6), insulin secretion and caspase-3 activation (INS1E) were also investigated.
Insulin-induced IR-autophosphorylation was decreased in HepG2-K, L6-K, INS1E-K
(20%, 52% and 11% reduction vs. untransfected cells) and
twice as much in HepG2-Q, L6-Q, INS1E-Q (44%, 92% and 30%).
Similar data were obtained with Akt-Ser473,
ERK1/2-Thr202/Tyr204 and GSK3-beta Ser9 in
HepG2 and L6. Insulin-induced reduction of PEPCK mRNA was progressively lower in
untransfected, HepG2-K and HepG2-Q cells (65%, 54%, 23%).
Insulin-induced glucose uptake in untransfected L6 (60% increase over
basal), was totally abolished in L6-K and L6-Q cells. GLUT 4 mRNA was slightly
reduced in L6-K and twice as much in L6-Q (13% and 25% reduction
vs. untransfected cells). Glucose-induced insulin secretion was 60%
reduced in INS1E-K and almost abolished in INS1E-Q. Serum deficiency activated
caspase-3 by two, three and four folds in untransfected INS1E, INS1E-K and
INS1E-Q. Glyburide-induced insulin secretion was reduced by 50% in
isolated human islets from homozygous QQ donors as compared to those from KK and
KQ individuals. Our data clearly indicate that ENPP1, especially when the Q121
variant is operating, affects insulin signaling and glucose metabolism in
skeletal muscle- and liver-cells and both function and survival of insulin
secreting beta-cells, thus representing a strong pathogenic factor predisposing
to insulin resistance, defective insulin secretion and glucose metabolism
abnormalities
Sloan Digital Sky Survey IV: Mapping the Milky Way, Nearby Galaxies, and the Distant Universe
We describe the Sloan Digital Sky Survey IV (SDSS-IV), a project encompassing three major spectroscopic programs. The Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment 2 (APOGEE-2) is observing hundreds of thousands of Milky Way stars at high resolution and high signal-to-noise ratios in the near-infrared. The Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA) survey is obtaining spatially resolved spectroscopy for thousands of nearby galaxies (median ). The extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (eBOSS) is mapping the galaxy, quasar, and neutral gas distributions between and 3.5 to constrain cosmology using baryon acoustic oscillations, redshift space distortions, and the shape of the power spectrum. Within eBOSS, we are conducting two major subprograms: the SPectroscopic IDentification of eROSITA Sources (SPIDERS), investigating X-ray AGNs and galaxies in X-ray clusters, and the Time Domain Spectroscopic Survey (TDSS), obtaining spectra of variable sources. All programs use the 2.5 m Sloan Foundation Telescope at the Apache Point Observatory; observations there began in Summer 2014. APOGEE-2 also operates a second near-infrared spectrograph at the 2.5 m du Pont Telescope at Las Campanas Observatory, with observations beginning in early 2017. Observations at both facilities are scheduled to continue through 2020. In keeping with previous SDSS policy, SDSS-IV provides regularly scheduled public data releases; the first one, Data Release 13, was made available in 2016 July
Sloan Digital Sky Survey IV: Mapping the Milky Way, Nearby Galaxies, and the Distant Universe
We describe the Sloan Digital Sky Survey IV (SDSS-IV), a project encompassing three major spectroscopic programs. The Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment 2 (APOGEE-2) is observing hundreds of thousands of Milky Way stars at high resolution and high signal-to-noise ratios in the near-infrared. The Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA) survey is obtaining spatially resolved spectroscopy for thousands of nearby galaxies (median ). The extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (eBOSS) is mapping the galaxy, quasar, and neutral gas distributions between and 3.5 to constrain cosmology using baryon acoustic oscillations, redshift space distortions, and the shape of the power spectrum. Within eBOSS, we are conducting two major subprograms: the SPectroscopic IDentification of eROSITA Sources (SPIDERS), investigating X-ray AGNs and galaxies in X-ray clusters, and the Time Domain Spectroscopic Survey (TDSS), obtaining spectra of variable sources. All programs use the 2.5 m Sloan Foundation Telescope at the Apache Point Observatory; observations there began in Summer 2014. APOGEE-2 also operates a second near-infrared spectrograph at the 2.5 m du Pont Telescope at Las Campanas Observatory, with observations beginning in early 2017. Observations at both facilities are scheduled to continue through 2020. In keeping with previous SDSS policy, SDSS-IV provides regularly scheduled public data releases; the first one, Data Release 13, was made available in 2016 July
Does the ACR TI-RADS scoring allow us to safely avoid unnecessary thyroid biopsy? single center analysis in a large cohort
The American College of Radiology (ACR) has recently proposed a guideline that recommends clinicians to perform thyroid fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) on the basis of ultrasound features. In this study, we focused on nodules for which no biopsy is recommended by the ACR Thyroid Imaging, Reporting and Data System (TI-RADS) guideline